Snooping
by GailTheFish
Summary: Dr Bartlet is curious about two of her husband's campaign staff. Pre-series.


The Bartlet campaign had rolled into Pennsylvania and the staffers were in attendance at an event in a Scranton ballroom where Governor Bartlet was to speak.

"Claudia Jean, may I speak with you a moment?" Abbey Bartlet approached her husband's press consultant who had been talking with a young Congressman.

"Dr Bartlet, hi. Sure," she followed her outside where it was quieter, "How can I help you?"

"I just wanted to talk," Abbey stated before cutting to the chase, "You're close with Toby aren't you?"

She looked across to Toby, through the open glass doors, engrossed in some debate with Josh and Sam.

"We're best friends." CJ smiled.

"Yeah, Jed said he brought you on here." She mentioned.

"I always trust his word. He told me the Governor was a good man and I couldn't refuse that."

"That or Toby?" Abbey questioned.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you sleeping with him?" she pressed.

"What?!" CJ exclaimed in shock.

"You're very close." Abbey pointed out.

"We're not that close! Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"We dated years ago." she told Abbey.

"Really?" Abbey was intrigued. "How long for?"

"About 3 years."

"3 years?!" she hadn't been expecting that.

CJ nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"How long did you say you've known him?"

"I didn't, but about 12 years. He was married when I first knew him." she explained.

"I didn't know he was married before Andrea." Abbey spoke, surprised.

"Oh yeah."

"How did you two come to date then?" she wondered.

CJ looked at her as if to say 'really?' and Abbey's nod urged her to answer.

"We got closer after the divorce and then one night we were arguing about some candidate and he kissed me." she said, smiling at the memory.

"Then what?"

"You want to hear more?"

"Claudia Jean, you don't know me at all do you? Of course I do."

"Oh dear. Well I was shocked, I liked him sure, but his wife had been this amazing beautiful lawyer and I was the gawky Poly-Sci student; I was still doing my masters then. I never expected a man like him to pay attention to me like that."

"Men are always paying attention to you. Joshua's like a lost puppy when you're around." Abbey laughed.

"It never used to be like that."

"I'm surprised, so you got together?"

"Eventually. We were sleeping together on that campaign but I had to go back to Berkeley and graduate. He asked me out when I came back to New York to see out the campaign. And we lost that election." she chuckled.

"Wow. Then 3 years?"

"3 years." CJ confirmed.

"What happened to end it?"

"I got an offer for Emily's List in LA, but he wanted us to get married and stay in New York. He probably would've compromised but I didn't want to get married. I loved him but I still felt too young, so I broke it off and left."

Abbey watched curiously as the younger woman's mood fell with her words.

"Then he met Andrea?"

"I guess so. We didn't talk for a while but I was involved with Andi's first congressional race through Emily's List and we became close again."

"Did you sleep together then?"

CJ shook her head. "One kiss before I went back to LA, they weren't married yet."

"Do you get on with Andrea?" Abbey enquired.

"Yeah, she's lovely," CJ smiled back.

"How's their marriage?"

"Good. The campaign is keeping them apart but they're coping."

Abbey's voice took on a stern tone. "Don't lie to me."

"Excuse me, ma'am?" she wondered innocently.

"She came to me when she visited him yesterday. She's worried about you being here." Abbey told CJ.

She was visibly taken aback at the news, "What? Why?"

"I'm guessing she knows you two were together once?"

"Yeah but it's never been an issue."

"Until now."

"Oh my god," she groaned.

"I won't tell her, I'm not too fond of her myself, but are you sleeping with him?"

CJ hesitated. "Uhm, yes."

"I knew it," Abbey exclaimed softly. "He looks at you like you are. If I didn't know he had Andrea, I'd say he was very much in love you, Claudia Jean."

"No, he's not. He doesn't." CJ said steadily.

"I see, but you love him don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." she replied quietly.

Abbey clasped her hands together. "Well this little chat was very productive. Thank you, Claudia Jean."

"Thank you, ma'am. Also, can we keep this between us? No one knows, y'know."

"Of course dear. You better be off because the boys will be missing you. Go dazzle them out there," she grinned.

"You too, Dr Bartlet." CJ responded graciously.

"See ya, Claudia Jean." Abbey smiled as she left.

* * *

CJ turned on her heels to go back inside but Toby approached where she stood.

"Hey," he muttered softly, handing her a glass of wine.

"Thanks." She took a sip before looking at him.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked.

"Us, Abbey knows."

"She knows what?" he wondered, his hand tightly holding his glass of scotch.

"That we're," she paused to make sure no-one else was in earshot, "sleeping together."

"Oh," Toby smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" she wondered.

"You didn't tell her did you?"

"What? God no, why would I do that?"

"Oh hey, no need to sound ashamed," he chuckled, "I'm smiling because if she figured it out herself, it must be pretty obvious how much you want me."

"Actually, Ziegler. You were the giveaway." she told him.

"Me?"

"The way you look at me."

"Ah. Too bad, ey?"

"Aren't you worried about people finding out that you're cheating on your wife?" CJ asked through gritted teeth.

"No," he brushed a hand against her elbow, a fleeting touch for the circumstance.

She didn't reply, so he continued. "So what if I look at you a certain way?"

"Well if the Governor's wife is taking me outside to talk about you., then it ought to be concerning."

"What did you say about me?" he asked, lips quirked.

She glared at him with a playful glint in her eyes. "Nothing favourable."

"Seriously."

"I just mentioned that we used to date and we've known each other forever."

"We did more than date," he contended.

CJ sighed, knowing fine well he was right. "Toby, we shouldn't be talking about this out here. Anyone could hear."

"I don't really care." He told her.

"You should. It could hurt the Governor's chances if it gets out that two of his campaign advisors are busy breaking the laws of marriage."

"Come on, CJ. Dr Bartlet only figured it out because she likes people watching. It won't be a thing."

"How can you be so sure?" she wondered quietly.

"Because we've been careful, no-one's said anything before now have they? The campaign is well under way and no-one suspects us, especially since Andi was here yesterday."

"She told Abbey that she doesn't like me being here." CJ said timidly.

"She did?" Toby's voice grew in annoyance.

"Toby…." CJ began, calming him down.

"Saying something to me instead of the Governor's wife would've been nice." He muttered viciously.

"Look, Toby. Don't worry about it? She doesn't know anything so we're fine." She calmed him with her assurance.

"Exactly, she doesn't know. She has no right to be mouthing off about you being on this campaign."

She smiled at the way he had worked himself up slightly, hand waving absentmindedly. "Don't worry."

Suddenly, Josh interrupted them.

"Hey guys. The Governor's speaking in 10 minutes."

"I better go reel in the press then." CJ announced, smiling helplessly at Toby before leaving.

"You guys okay?" Josh asked Toby once she was inside.

"What? Yeah." he answered and they both walked back into the ballroom in silence.

CJ was announcing the beginning of Bartlet's speech when he entered.

Her eyes met his before she left the podium, a quick smile in his direction.

Toby's lips quirked upwards as she made her way towards him again, Abbey watching the pair from the bar with a satisfied smile on her own face.


End file.
